RAUL - A Special Ukulele Evening
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Patrick Vosen - 6/20/2024
4/8/2024
Before I share the absolutely fantastic evening with you, let me briefly tell you about my ukulele background. Why am I even taking this tour with my ukulele? And how did my ukulele story begin?
How I Got into Ukulele
The first time I held a ukulele was in 2012. During my volunteer service in Russia, one day my roommate Jörn brought home a plastic ukulele. He played a bit on it, and somehow the instrument had something to it. It’s handy, easy to learn (at least initially), and always puts you in a good mood. Soon, I learned the basic chords and could play a bit at our summer camps. In Germany, I bought my own ukulele but only used it occasionally. Since I learned from YouTube, I often reached my limits and lost motivation. Only this year (2024) have I fully committed again, also because the circumstances have changed. I found great teachers from Hawaii who accompany me on my ukulele journey. Furthermore, I found role models whom I look up to. I want to become a professional ukulele player - that’s my goal! What does that mean specifically? To become as good as my role models: Craig Shee and Sarah Meisel (my ukulele teachers) or Taimane or Jake Shimabukuro. It’s okay to dream, right?
When I was planning my trip, I knew that the ukulele had to be part of it. When my teachers started demonstrating techniques for ukulele clubs, I began searching for them in my region. Indeed, there is a ukulele club in Bonn. In Cologne, there are even two! The club in Bonn suited me best time-wise, and I paid them a visit before my departure. In a separate room of a pub, about 20 people strummed on their instruments for about 4 hours. It was the first time I met other ukulele players. My appetite was whetted! For my trip, I researched ukulele clubs in Paris and stumbled upon the Facebook group of RAUL, which meets in a café every Monday. The first step is taken, and my world trip has a new mission: to discover the ukulele communities of the world and improve as a player. But now back to Paris.
A Place Where Everyone Is RAUL
The café is only a 20-minute walk from my hostel. For safety, I leave early and arrive 15 minutes early. A bit nervous, I stand on the other side of the street, thinking, “What if my French isn’t enough? Am I even welcome without registering?” I take a deep breath, cross the street, and enter the café. A few people are sitting at the tables, and the waitress smiles at me. But I don’t see any ukuleles. Am I even in the right place? I look to the right and see four people working eagerly on a PC. Could that be RAUL? I approach slowly, and one of the four looks at me. He notices my ukulele and speaks to me in French with a smile. “Je ne parle pas français,” I say, and the ice is broken. Surprised, they ask me in English how I found them. Mathias, the group leader, explains that they are currently working on a nationwide website for the French ukulele community. Perfect, so I’ve met exactly the right people here. At 7 p.m., more people with their ukuleles arrive, but there’s no music yet. Mathias explains that they first have dinner together for an hour and chat. Once the communal music-making begins, there are hardly any opportunities for that. I’m very lucky because Carine sits opposite me. She limps a bit due to a foot injury but radiates great joy of life. We order some food and get into conversation. We talk intensively about our ukulele stories; she even speaks pretty good German. Initially, her wife was against having a ukulele in the house, but now she accepts the instrument, and they even make music together. I’m particularly excited when she tells me about her first performance. A few years ago, she was traveling with a group in Uzbekistan. In a small town, she saw a seamstress on the street and thought, “I’ll play a little concert for this woman.” Even though they didn’t understand each other, music created a connection between them. Carine has several ukuleles with her, one of which she made herself and is electric. When someone arrives with an amplifier, the electric ukulele is immediately tested. Thanks to Carine and Mathias, I feel very comfortable. Carine introduces me to all the newcomers, and Mathias even shows me his homemade ukulele. “In Toulouse, there’s a workshop where you can build your own ukulele in 2 days,” he tells me. It costs about 500 €. Maybe later, I dream.
From Ukulele Club to Concert
At 8 p.m., there’s suddenly movement in the group. Tables and chairs are stacked, and music stands are set up. I feel like I’m always in the way. In Germany, we all sat at our tables while playing. Here, everything seems to be different. In one corner, someone tunes their bass ukulele; in another, someone else sets up their modified cajón. When I see the chords, I feel dizzy: Bb, C#, Ab, etc. These are not necessarily beginner chords. Slowly, I realize that this is not your average ukulele club. Here, performances are given. And for the other café guests! I’m getting a bit nervous. Carine explains to me that they take a different songbook every week. As we get started, the atmosphere is really lively. Children gather in front of us and watch us play for hours. It’s my first performance with my ukulele, and it’s a lot of fun! We play English songs but also many French ones. Basically, it goes like this: After each song, someone throws a song number into the room, and then we play. I’m still a bit shy, even though Carine keeps urging me to request a song. A few songs stick in my head afterward: “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Lemon Tree.” But also French ones that I’ve never heard before. I especially like a song about French means of transportation called “Petit Cheminot.”
This Is Just the Beginning
Throughout the evening, people come and go. Carine also soon says goodbye. She’s not quite fit yet and needs to rest a bit. But she promises to send me some tips for the city and information about other ukulele clubs in Paris later today. During the evening, Mathias lets me play his homemade ukulele. That’s a great experience. Eventually, this evening also comes to an end. Mathias gives me some
RAUL stickers, which I proudly stick on the back of my ukulele. I don’t usually put stickers on my instruments, but I find the idea quite nice for the travel ukulele. I get into conversation with Helene, who seems to be a central part of RAUL and introduces herself with the name Raul. She’s very interested in my ukulele journey and tells me about her life. Helene plays in a ukulele band and has 14 ukuleles at home. Later, we go outside with Mathias, who admits to owning over 20 ukuleles. Finally, I meet real ukulele nerds! They tell me that the Ukulele Club “Rendev’Uke” meets on Wednesday, and the “Cabaret du uke” takes place on a boat on Thursday. What luck! We chat a bit more until I say goodbye to both of them. I’m amazed at how active the ukulele community is in France. I walk back to the hostel in the rain, but I don’t mind: I’m happy! Arriving there, I extend my stay in Paris and fall exhausted into bed.
Here are some useful links to the ukulele community in France:
